BBC defends John McEnroe’s increased salary despite heavy criticism of his commentary during this year’s Wimbledon

Despite his absence from the commentating team for the men's singles final at Wimbledon, John McEnroe was granted a salary hike.

BBC defends John McEnroe’s increased salary despite heavy criticism of his commentary during this year’s Wimbledon

John McEnroe (Credits: Tennis Majors)


As reported by ‘The Times,’ the American tennis legend and renowned tennis commentator John McEnroe earned a substantial fee of nearly €205,000 for his commentating services during this year’s prestigious Wimbledon championships, courtesy of the BBC. Notably, this represents an impressive 10% increase in Mr. McEnroe’s salary compared to his earnings from the previous year.

This comes as a surprise, particularly considering the fact that he was snubbed by the BBC’s commentating team for the men’s singles final featuring Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic. Despite not being selected to cover the final match, McEnroe’s compensation saw a significant boost.

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While John McEnroe missed out on commentating on the BBC, he provided his expert analysis and insights on Carlos Alcaraz’s remarkable victory over Novak Djokovic through ESPN. The BBC opted for a commentary team comprising seasoned commentator Andrew Castle, former doubles World No. 1 Todd Woodbridge, and former British singles No. 1 Tim Henman.

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“He is one of the most popular and respected pundits in tennis, and he provides a unique perspective to our coverage,” a BBC spokesperson said.

The BBC has confirmed that McEnroe’s dedication and commitment have been unwavering throughout the entire two weeks of Wimbledon. He has been present on BBC screens daily, providing expert commentary on the matches and offering insightful analysis as an in-studio analyst.

Regardless, McEnroe was still an integral part of the BBC team that provided commentary during the women’s singles final at Wimbledon. The thrilling match between Marketa Vondrousova and Ons Jabeur culminated in Vondrousova’s historic victory, as she became the first unseeded female player to claim the championship in the Open era.

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John McEnroe’s commentating career at a glance

John McEnroe
John McEnroe (Credit: Action Plus Sports Images/Alamy Live News)

McEnroe began commentating for NBC in May 1992 as an analyst on NBC Sports’ French Open broadcasts, and he made his Wimbledon commentating debut in June of that year. As mentioned by his colleagues over the years, his tennis pedigree allows for him to bring unique insights into the sport, which would resonate well with fellow tennis athletes. Since his debut, the American tennis legend has been a mainstay commentator at most major competitions.

It is worthy of note that in spite of the increase in McEnroe’s commentating salary, he is far from being amongst the highest earners in the broadcasting team. The top spot in the salary rankings goes to veteran football analyst Gary Lineker and his iconic ‘Match-of-the-day’ show, with earnings close to €1.3 million.

In other news, Veteran broadcaster Clare Balding took over the reins of the head of the broadcasting team this year after long-time head Sue Barker announced her retirement during the championships last year. Barker had been the head of the broadcasting team since 1993.

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